


Mark Me

by Eeveegirl2219, RoseScentedKisses (AgeofCipher)



Category: Gravity Falls, Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: (This isn't really for Gravity Falls), Abby Comes In Later Chapters, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Carlos Doesn't Believe In The Soulmate Stuff, Carlos is Stubborn, Cecil Explains It, Cecil Is Determined, Cecil and Kevin are brothers, Everything Depends on Your Social Class?, F/M, Friends With Benefits, I just borrow Mabel, Kind Of Confusing, M/M, Maureen is kind of a bitch, Not Canon Compliant, Old Friends, Romantic Soulmates, She Isn't Acknowledged To Be Part of The Family, Slow Build, Soulmate Names, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Soulmates, Tags will probably be added, We Don't Talk About That Though, We'll Just Have To See Where This Goes, Why Did I Write This?, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-05-31 01:58:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6450973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eeveegirl2219/pseuds/Eeveegirl2219, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgeofCipher/pseuds/RoseScentedKisses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Our society is screwed.</p><p>When you find your soulmate, a celebration is held, since you can finally get access to rights you weren't allowed to have without your soulmate. Depending on your social class, you could get a name on your arm, a mark, or the first sentence they'll say to you. Occasionally, you're soulmate with have someone else's name on their arm, and rarer than that you'll be born with two marks. Usually the lowest of society might have a timer, leaving them a mystery as to who their soulmate is.</p><p>I've been born with a simple sentence on my arm, my left wrist adorned with cursive words, thanks to my high rank in society. 'I'm a scientist' it says. So far, I haven't met them, but who knows, maybe today will change that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Make Me

My name is Cecil Palmer. As you probably know, our society is based on whether or not you've found your soulmate. There's websites where you pay large sums for your soulmate's name to be searched, and websites where you can upload an image of your mark to hopefully catch the attention of your soulmate. Usually, your soulmate's mark or words will be on the opposite side of yours. I, myself, have a mark on my left wrist, and I'm a left-handed person, so my soulmate should be right-handed.

Before I get any further, I'll quickly go into depth on our society, whether you know it or not. We all need a good refreshing every once in a while, right?

A long time ago, a world existed where people did not find their soulmates and spent lives married and in love with someone other than their soulmate, isn't that weird? A group of scientists began working on a way to allow people to find their soulmates, and by the end of the project only one scientist was still working on the project. She made a serum that ended up being released into the air, apparently, and somehow that led to the First mark. Now, we don't bother with romantic relationships with others than our soulmate, saving the first romantic experiences with our soulmate. Sometimes, people dare to illegally marry someone other than their soulmate, which means they don't have the same rights as soulmate couples. The highest of the high in society, royals, have names on their arms, signifying they are someone important. Middle class members often have the words their soulmate will say first, and others have what their soulmate will say last to them, those poor souls. The lowest of society, those who live with nothing but shapes on their wrists and timers that count down to the very second they meet their soulmate. Not all families enjoy their children getting a same-sex soulmate, but they often accept it, although when is a different matter. There are also the rare few who see the world in monochrome until they first touch their soulmate, and those same few fade back into monochrome when their soulmate dies.

I'm from a high classed family, my father, a second child to a throne, married my mother, a woman who was a third child to a throne, and together they were a royal Duke and Duchess. My older brother, Kevin, didn't like me very much as I was a child, but he can't stop sending me letters now. Over the years, he's changed from the pessimistic little crap he was to a very optimistic, annoying, and bright man.

He got over the fact that our parents spent more time on trying to help me find my soulmate than nurturing him. Kevin was luckier than I, born with the name of his soulmate, a woman named...May? Mabel, I think it was. I never really caught the name as Kevin never spoke of it much.

Every year, my parents threw a big bash for my birthday, looking for my soulmate as they wanted their status to be worldwide- a rich, powerful family that had not one child matched with their soulmate, but two.

So far, I haven't heard those 3 perfect words, but that's okay. My birthday is next week, so you never know, but there's one thing that makes me radiate with hope at possibly finding my soulmate soon. There's a group of scientists coming to Night Vale within the next few weeks, one of them must be my soulmate. Whatever deity out there knows I cannot rest until I find my soulmate.


	2. Try Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil and Kevin meet up, and news is brought to the attention of the Palmer family.

In my latest letter from Kevin, and his annoyingly happy self, he's mentioned that he "couldn't bear to miss his baby brother's birthday". He had also mentioned that he was bringing along his wife, who I confirmed was named Mabel. I couldn't be bothered if Kevin hadn't wanted to come see us, but my mother had told me that I should be grateful that I had a brother as kind as Kevin.

Kevin was okay, it was more like we were polar opposites, and we interacted like trying to mix rubbing alcohol and magma, it just didn't make sense and ended in disastrous results. I'll give him credit, he did try to get along with me but I knew we just wouldn't have that sibling bond that some have.

He was arriving now, I could see his expensive sports car roll up, a bright shade of yellow as he got out, dressed as bright and flashy as his car. He smoothly walked around the car to open the door for his wife, a woman who was about as obnoxiously bright as himself. Kevin tossed his keys to one of the servant boys who seemed nervous to even touch the keys, but managed to drive it away to park it.

Kevin's wife, Mabel, was pretty in a way. She had long dark hair and dark eyes, and she had a bubbly laugh, but she liked to wear bright, warm colors and flashy jewelry. She hit it off with our mother quickly, but our father was more indifferent.

I collapsed on my bed with a groan, I didn't want to hear my sister-in-law gush over how I'd changed in the past- what? Four months since she was last here?

A knock rang out in the room, and I waved a hand as go beckon them in. "Sir, Mistress Mabel and Master Kevin are here. Your mother requests your presence in the dining hall." The female, a maid by the looks of it, said timidly, keeping her head down.

Silently I stood up and walked over to my mirror and fixed the tie I wore over my favorite purple button up. The color was dark and rich, almost a wine color, but had attracted me most because it reminded me of a night sky stretching and spreading across the sky until it enveloped the horizon.

I sighed as I walked out of the room, and began a descent down the stairs.

 

~

 

When I walked into the dining hall, my parents and Kevin were seated at the table, Mabel beside her husband. As I swiftly made my way to the other side of the table, my father cleared his throat in a near warning.

I plastered a clearly fake smile on my face and looked up at Mabel. "Oh, hello darling. How's it been going down in dolllville?" I spoke, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

A brief bout of confusion bloomed over her face but was quickly swallowed and she looked away. "It has been fine. How's the search for your soulmate?" She shot back, gaze not quite leaving the table as I gripped the fork I was holding tighter.

Just as Kevin opened his mouth to speak, servants came in with the meal, roasted chicken and boiled potatoes,  cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, breads, and various vegetable dishes were placed and layed out. One servant came around with wine, too which I gladly accepted a glass of, although my mother shot glares at me. Mabel declined the glass of wine, which barely registered a response in my mind.

Kevin had been close enough that I had heard him say "believe in a smiling god" before he began to eat, but I said nothing. I knew that once I was done eating I could probably escape off, pretend I was working on my studies or such.

 

About halfway through the silent meal, Kevin cleared his throat and stood up, holding Mabel's hand and pulling her up also. "Mom, Dad, I- no, we- would like to announce something very special. Mabel, would you like to do the honors?" Kevin asked, grinning as joy bloomed on his face and Mabel swallowed her nervousness. 

"I'm pregnant." Mabel said softly, moving a little closer to Kevin. I wasn't sure what shocked me more, the joy in my mother's face or the fact that Kevin was going to be a father. It was like reality had just came and slapped me in the face, it was hard and breathtaking. My father and mother stood up and crossed over to the young couple, embracing the two as both women shared tears of happiness together.

They all fit together perfectly, and so I got up and pushed my chair into the table, leaving three-fourths of my meal on the plate and taking long strides out of the room, not bothering to stay there any longer.

~

 

I mostly ran to my room, fighting back tears that were threatening to spill. I wasn't a crybaby, but that didn't mean I wasn't a romantic person. What Kevin and Mabel had was something I wanted, maybe I didn't want their sense of fashion but I wanted my other half, my soulmate, my scientist that I had yet to meet. Those three simple words on my wrist guaranteed that our paths would cross, but it did not mean that we were to actually work out, though most couples could.

I wanted to be able to love someone and know that we were born for each other, to cherish this perfect person that was made for me, and let them feel complete at finding me. I wanted to spend my life with the person that the stars match me with. I wanted to find that perfect woman- no, person- that was going to want me back, to rejoice in having found me after a lifetime apart.

I wanted what I didn't have, what I might not have, and the thought I could be wasting a life on nothing scared me. I was only 20 years old, and it was terrifying that my parents may disown me one day for not finding my soulmate.

And so, with tears falling down my face, I made my way up to the roof to watch the stars, to find solace in the fact that somewhere in this world, my soulmate was looking up at this exact sky.


	3. She'll Be Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin tries to console his brother, and soulmate planning ensues.

In the morning, I awoke to see Kevin, hand on my shoulder with a serious look on his face. "Kevin..?"

"Yeah, hello Cecil. I wanted to talk about your soulmate, is that okay?" Kevin asked, sitting down on a chair I had by one of my three bay windows.

"Yeah, it's fine," I mumbled, fingers fumbling with the blankets as I unsuccessfully tried to unwrap a blanket from my waist to drape across my shoulders.

"Well, I know how you want to find her-"

"Her?"

"Well yeah, your soulmate, a girl-"

"How can you be sure Kevin? How can you be sure it'll be a girl?" I interrupted, trying not to let myself get lost in my anger.

"I just feel it, okay Cecil? Anyways, when you meet her, you'll know what she first says to you. She won't immediately fall for you, Cecil. It'll take her a bit first, and it'll take you a little bit to love her, that's what happened with Mabel and I. We took our time falling in love, as you remember our 3 year courting, right?" Kevin spoke, searching for recognition in my eyes.

Nodding, I took my turn to speak. "What if something goes wrong? What if we hate each other?" I leaned forward, eager to hear whatever advice Kevin could supply.

"Let's just get to planning your party, shall we?"

~

The theme for my party was going to be a masquerade party. It seemed a bit cliche, but I had recently fallen in love with the idea of masquerades. I had read a few stories where people met their soulmates at masquerade parties. The main colors would be violet and blueberry. Kevin picked out a nice dark purple shirt and a darker blue tie imprinted with microphone images. A pair of black slacks went along with the shirt and tie, and together we agreed I'd wear a music themed mask, in correlation to how much I enjoyed public radio, and if I had been born in the middle class I'd have been a public radio show host.

The scientists were due to arrive the day after tomorrow, which would be the 16th, three days before my birthday. This meant that they'd be invited to my birthday party, and I'd have the chance to meet my soulmate. My stomach did somersaults as my mind was bombarded with questions. What were they like? Were they tall or short or thin or fat or none of the above?

Kevin snapped his fingers in my face,  attempting to bring me back into reality. "Cecil, come on, you've been disconnected from reality too long." Kevin huffed, trying to keep bite out of his tone.

"Sorry, I hadn't meant to get carried away. What were you saying?" I politely replied, although I really hadn't been sure if I meant it or not.

"Look, Cecil, I just want you to know that you might be upset if you don't meet your soulmate, but trust me, it'll be fine." Kevin offered a weak smile, touching my shoulder in what should have been reassuring.

Yeah, it'll be fine alright.


	4. The Strange

Carlos fiddled with the ring of keys in his hand, and used the blue one to open the door to his apartment. It was small, but it was lively, plenty of large windows to survey the area of Night Vale. His lab was close enough, and thankfully the other scientists were nearby. One scientist, Maureen, had offered to live with Carlos and help out, which he gladly accepted.

Maureen had met him years ago in middle school, and over a few months they became quite good friends. Maureen knew Carlos tended to ignore his needs, and she figured that he needed to be in good health in order to keep his grant and job, and she wouldn't mind living with someone else.

Carlos was here for an indefinite amount of time, to study the ground of the area and plant life. He wasn't exactly sure why he was given Night Vale, a place practically unheard of but established enough to contain it's own billionaires that seconded as royalty. It was a strange place indeed, but that just opened up another realm of possibilities.

Learning local custom would be a definite must, and perhaps a challenge as he'd noted several people entailing questionable fashion statements.

Carlos shook the thought away and set down a few boxes before rolling up his sleeves at the heat. If there was one thing the board could do, it was to tell him and his crew that this place was very, very warm. As he rolled up his sleeves, he tried not to look at the message that adorned his right wrist, but his eyes were drawn to it anyways.

"Neat!" Carlos didn't believe in the soulmate thing, thank whatever may exist out there for that. How could his "soulmate" first say to him "neat"? Was Carlos the one to initiate the conversation or did this person just come up to him? If it was the latter, he did not want to be with some insane person, even if science could prove the soulmate theory. And also, how did the scientist who introduced the soulmate theory even make it so people were born with it already written into their skin?

Thankfully, before Carlos could get anymore into thinking, a voice rang out in the apartment. "Carlos, I swear to god if you are standing around again and not helping me, you will sleep on the floor tonight." Laughing, he made his way to the kitchen to be met with the face of his...friend. Maureen gave a strained smile and her eyes flicked to the boxes in her arms and back to him.  _Get to it._

Carlos lifted three of the boxes easily from previous scientific trips, so it wasn't as exhausting as it had been at one time. He put them down in his shared room, and made his way back to the kitchen to be met with a slightly disheveled Maureen sitting on the counter. Her smoky eyes met his own coal black, and she fluttered her eyelashes, as if teasing him.

Carlos sighed and looked away, allowing Maureen to melt into laughter, leaning back onto the counter. "You're lucky we haven't unpacked yet," Carlos muttered, setting Maureen off again.

The relationship they had, it wasn't really...orthodox. If you were in a relationship with someone other than your soulmate, you were set up to be discriminated against. Maureen had met her soulmate, but apparently the other girl had been a "real douche" and a "snob that believed that life could be a fairytale". Carlos could only describe what happened to what had gone on between homosexuals in history, with violent acts put on those who were of a different sexuality. Maureen and Carlos refused to label their relationship as anything more than friends, but most knew it was more than that.

Two two didn't really love each other, they held a deep appreciation for each other, but without the parents staring them down and forcing them to stay in line, the two did what they pleased. Thankfully, Maureen never got pregnant, but nevertheless they enjoyed each other despite the imminent risk.

It was kind of nice to forget the pressure of society's rules, but it was difficult to manage two lives at the same time.

As Carlos went back to unpacking, he heard Maureen squeal in delight and run through the house with a red envelope in her hand. She shoved the fancy envelope into Carlos's hands. 

Opening it, he unfolded a lacy paper, a formal invitation to a party. Maureen gushed over the details and how she thought it would be as Carlos nodded along, captivated by the name on the envelope. Palmer.


	5. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil has to rehearse the first part of his evening and Carlos has to figure out what in the hell he could wear to a fancy party.

I sat back, crossing my legs and sitting up straighter. One of the few things I hated about the preparation of my birthday was the rehearsals. My parents and I had a deal, as long as I went along and allowed them to plan how I acted for at least three hours of the night, I'd be allowed to spend the rest of it doing whatever I pleased.  
Of course, early on abstinence was drilled into me by my parents, because if there was one thing that hadn't changed in the past few centuries it was the fact that if you were a virgin, people tended to like you more.

"Now Cecil, you're going to be introduced to each of the scientists that will be in attendance, so your father and I expect that you will be on your best behavior. If you find your soulmate, I expect that you will dance with them like the gentleman we raised you to be, and then bring them to meet us. Now, Kevin will be giving a toast and you know well that you are not allowed to be-"

"Drunk during the first half of the party, I understand mother. Please, trust me, we've been doing the same thing for years, I got this." I interrupted, hoping to finish this rehearsal so that I'd be allowed to leave the manor.

My mother nodded stiffly and then left me to my own devices. I went through the motions of the planned bash, even going so far as to dance with a servant. Afterwards I looked towards my mother, searching her face for any sort of finality. Thankfully, she waved her hand in a dismissive manner and I ran off, grabbing a dark coat and rushing out the front door and into the sleek black vehicle I had been provided.

I relaxed into the leather seat, letting out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. My friend, Lady Dana, was also a passenger. She gave me a knowing look and said "Rough day, eh Cecil?"

I nodded, and she signaled the driver to drive.

Within minutes we were at the bar, a local one that not many people went to on occasion. I smiled, glad that Dana and I knew each other well.

 

* * *

~~~~Carlos sighed in frustration. He had nothing fancy to wear to this party he was graciously invited to, and that was fairly annoying. He had plaid shirts, black slacks, sweaters, and jeans, along with a few old lab coats he used to wear.

Maureen sauntered into the room, casting a slightly worried look in Carlos's direction, but said nothing. She ran her hands up one of his arms. "Do you want to go out? Maybe get some stress off of you? We can go get drinks and pretend we're together..." Maureen's voice trailed off, eyes widening towards Carlos.

After some hesitation, he nodded. "Yeah, yeah. That sounds great. Good job Maureen." Carlos said somewhat smoothly. 

Maureen smiled. "Alright, get your jacket and I'll be waiting outside in the car for you."

 

~

 

Carlos and Maureen walked into the bar, and there weren't many people there, just a few other residents of Night Vale. The duo sat down at a table, and then got up to order drinks.

Once they had what they wanted, they sat back down. A tall woman with brown hair and a sharp face. She sat down next to Maureen, and they launched into conversation. Carlos didn't really pay attention to them, preferring to sip his alcohol and ignore them.

"And then, the girl was all like 'wow, you saved me, you're a hero' and Carlos was all like- Carlos, won't you tell Dana what you said?" Maureen nudged Carlos with her elbow, and Carlos remembered that day, he'd saved a girl from getting hurt in college, but he couldn't really remember how or why.

"I'm not a hero," Carlos started, and he locked eyes with a man in a dark blue shirt who was walking towards the bathroom. "I'm a scientist."

The man who was walking towards the bathroom stopped walking, and just stared at Carlos, who'd already looked away. Dana got up and exchanged phone numbers with Maureen, then rushed out of the building with the man. Maureen turned to Carlos, grinning. "Dana was such a nice girl."

* * *

I stared blankly at the back of the seat in the car. Dana held my arm, as if I'd disappear if she let go. "Cecil, that was your soulmate, wasn't it?" Dana asked, loosening her grip just a bit.

That man, looking as if the gods had pooled together their ideas of the perfect man and then made him, how was he my soulmate? There was no way that he is my soulmate, and was he even talking to me?

I groaned and buried my face in my arms. What if he was just a tourist? What if he was leaving tomorrow and never coming back?

But most of all, what truly scared me was: what if he isn't my soulmate?

 

 


	6. Recover And Return

I didn't want to face the world anytime soon. I was in shock, whether the fact I had met my soulmate or the fact I was slightly drunk when I met my soulmate, I wasn't sure.

I certainly told no one about what had occured besides Dana, but I knew that if I had, my parents would've hired "soulmate professionals" to find this guy. I had heard about people having a soulmate who had someone else on their wrist, and I hoped to any god out there that this was not the case. I mean, he was with another, a girl, but that didn't mean they were together. If they were then that was just... scandalous.

My face began to heat up so I tried to distract myself, read more into this stupid book Kevin had once owned. It was interesting, not like the useless crap Kevin usually had.

Nothing ever really helped me think about anything besides what happened, last night, but if there was someone who knew anything about non-soulmate relationships, it was someone I was close with. Abby.

As I creeped out of my room to the small library I could call my own, I thought about how my parents would feel when they found out I was contacting Abby. They'd be angry, more than angry, and my mother would cry while father would say something like "she doesn't exist in this household".

I didn't care that Abby committed a crime by marrying Steve, although Steve was the worst besides ruining my sister's life, she was one of my closest friends. And, I adored Janice, her daughter.

I dialed the number I knew by heart, twisting part of my shirt within my fingers. "Hello, Abby Carlsberg, may I ask who is calling?"

"Hey! Uh, Abby. It's Cecil, you know, your younger brother? Yeah, I think I have a problem." I rushed out awkwardly, although I was usually collected.

"Cecil? Do... they, know you're calling?" Abby inquired, and I could faintly hear Janice's laughter in the background.

"No, but I think I might have found my soulmate."

 

Carlos thought he must have a problem. He couldn't stop thinking of the somewhat eccentric man he saw last night. He must have just stuck there because of Maureen meeting someone. 

In fact, Maureen had said someone over currently, but Carlos didn't want to think about that. He swore that the universe must be conspiring against him, getting a kick out of complicating his life.

"So, are you two like, together or something?" Why did he have to have such awful, awful luck? Marching himself to the door of the home office he had, he threw open the door to look down the hallway at Maureen and Dana. Maureen was leaning in and whispering something to Dana, to which both girls giggled.

"We aren't together! Say, why don't you both date each other?" Carlos turned away and locked himself in the office. Reports from his fellow scientists had littered the desk, as he was unable to make sense from any data he was given.

Carlos pondered on the idea of stress causing him to lose productivity, and his eyes flickered to the fiery envelope on the desk, barely visible under the stack of data. He stood up from the swivel chair he had previously been sitting upon, and he picked up the envelope with light fingers.

By now, he had familiarized himself with the contents of the card inside, the card that mimicked the night sky down to the smallest detail. Carlos swore he could see planes move within the image on the card, the moon making its nightly voyage across the sky.

The card was for an annual birthday bash for the son of the local celebrities, the 21st birthday of Cecil Palmer. The party was scheduled to be held in two days time, and the card also held a few details, like the fact it'd be a masquerade party, but that just made Carlos curious, because along with the fact he wanted to learn more about local custom, he'd get a chance to hopefully speak with locals. If the locals liked Carlos, it'd be easier to get on with the project here in Night Vale, and he'd be able to go back home where life was simple, where the only dangers were that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep or he'd get false data on a small experiment.

Carlos would go to this event, and curse him if he was going to enjoy it.


End file.
